A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the gangrape and murder of two teenage sisters in Katra Sadatganj village of Badaun district on May 27.

“The SIT was appointed Thursday evening and is headed by the circle officer of Ujhani, Mukesh Saxena. The team includes the former investigating officer, Veerpal Singh Sirohi, an inspector from Usait, B S Punia, and an inspector from Bareilly, Bharat Kumar,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Atul Saxena said, adding that Forensic specialists from Lucknow and Bareilly will assist them.

On Friday, sources said the SIT visited Katra Sadatganj village where the victims’ bodies were found hanging from a tree on May 28. They met the complainants and witnesses and conducted searches on the house from where one of the accused, Pappu Yadav, was arrested. Sources said the SIT questioned all five accused, who are in judicial custody.

The five people arrested in the case so far are two policemen posted at the Katra Sadatganj police station and three brothers. The policemen were sacked after the victims’ family alleged they delayed filing the complaint.

On Thursday, DNA and samples and forensic evidence from the bodies of the victims and the accused were sent to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), a Hyderabad based laboratory. Sources said results of the tests will form the basis of the investigation.

“There are two versions which are being presented. The eyewitness, who was regarded as an uncle by the girls, has said he saw the youngest accused dragging the girls away but the accused brothers deny this,” an officer said.

SSP Saxena said witnesses were also asked to help prepare sketches of the the two unidentified accused.

Meanwhile a PCR van was stationed at the house of the victims’ family as they have alleged they feel threatened despite the security personnel stationed there .

The family says they are now planning to move to Delhi. “CM Akhilesh Yadav has no time to come meet us, we have to go to the capital to ensure our daughters get justice,” the father of one victim said.

‘Not perfect society, but have self correction mechanism’

After the UN condemned the gangrape and murder of two teenage girls in Badaun, India on Friday said it never claimed to be a “perfect society” but does have an internal self-correction mechanism in place to deal with such acts. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Friday said the incident had “shocked” both the government and the nation and stressed that action is being taken against the accused. “Let me start by saying that it is not India’s case that we are a perfect society. However, it is our view that as a society we have internal self-correction mechanism in place,” he said. Akbaruddin was responding to a question on the UN’s strong condemnation of the gangrape. The UN on Monday had called for immediate action against the perpetrators and stressed on the need to address violence against women across India. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had also demanded action against sexual violence.